Crystal River current., 1887-04-30
white. black. red-in their button-

white. black, red-in their button-
holes. and their ladies' in an hour or SO
had managed 10 obtain the correspond
ing thing in flowers. This. OF course,
did not improve matters, and the ball
for the rest of the evening consisted
largely in couples Of different political
affiliations sweeping past each other
and glowering savagely. A similar
occurrence happened OH the evening of
the day when the Germans triumphant.
ly entered Paris. That was at the
opera, but the emperor did not happen
to be present Remonstrances and un.
pleasant scenes are said to have been
quite frequent just about that time be-
tween father and son. However. it all
blew over. and the scenes enacted few
months later on by the commune in
Paris. as well ms the repeated attempts
on the life of his father made by nihilis-
tic conspirators. considerably changed
the cZorowitch's views and held in
check his sympatI,ies for France,
though these sympathies never wholly
died within him, and still exist to-day.
How much of change time had
wrought in him was first obviously
shown when Alexander III. after the
assassination of his father assembled the
throne. Thousands in Russia expected
in his proclamation to his people some
promise of larger liberties. and if not a
constitution outright at least an assur-
ance from him that the nation at large,
through its representatives. should
have voice in making and unmak-
ing laws and in administering the tinan-
ces of the immense empire. But neither
in that document nor in the published
manifesto of May II, 1881. did the new
emperor say word about this. Quite
the contrary, he accumulated his claims
to autocratic power even more
broadly and absolutely than his
father had ever done. Doris Me1nikow,
a reformer of a mild pattern. was soon
given the go-by likewise and Ignatieff
appointed in his place. Schuwaloff fol
lowed. and now it is even Tolstoi. a
man than whom there Can be nobody
better qualified to crush every liberal
aspiration and retard every sort of pro-
gress and popular enlightment The
present emperor's foreign policy is too
well known to need comment, and the
fact that he has thought Il trio of such
men as Tolstoi. De Giers and Gourkho
worthy of the highest honors and of his
special confidence, and that Kaulbars,
WHoIu IL ICCCub tLIClC llI5 paper SUI
ficiently characterized. has OF late like
wise found favor in his eyes and has
even been promoted to tho grade of
lieutenant general, speaks volumes.
The family relations of Alexander
III. have been uniformly pleasant. He
is Il devoted husband and fond and
dutiful father. From his union with
the royal Dane have sprung four chill
dren-three sons and one daughter.
The latter, Princess Xenia, is now near
lv - years of age, and is lovely amia-
BILE girl, with blue eyes and fair hair of
a rare golden tint. The eldest son,
Nicolas, was born May IS. 1868, and is
a fine. sturdy boy. George. the second.
was born in 1871, and Michael in 1873.
The empress is still charming woman
and wears her forty years with ease and
grace. Though not much of u music
ian when she welded the Russian, she
perfected herself since in order to graft
fy his taste for music. The emperor,
however. is only fond of fine italian
opera and of the melancholy folk
songs of his country. Dagmar sings
to him even to-day when she wishes to
please him.-NeW York Mail and E1-
press.